


Aulfred

by Dandy



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Animal Death, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-29
Updated: 2013-01-29
Packaged: 2017-11-27 09:39:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/660464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dandy/pseuds/Dandy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Equius find an injured barkbeast in the wilds and decides to adopt it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aulfred

Equius didn’t often leave the hive. There wasn’t a lot of reason to; he was still young in sweeps, barely over two, so Aurthour would go out in search of his food, and as for companionship, well, the last time he had asked to go visiting other trolls, his lusus had wondered if he wanted to cull somebody.

“No, of course not,” Equius had replied, confused. “Why would I?” He was not, after all, a drone.

It was then that Aurthour had only shaken his head sadly and decided that Equius was not to go out and join in games with other trolls. He wasn’t sure why, and wasn’t offered an explanation, and he had thrown a tantrum about it but in the end agreed, deciding that it must be because he wasn’t to mix with those of lesser blood. And with that philosophy, and not much food to gather, Equius had lost his reason to do any more than stay in his hive. Not that he minded, of course. Aurthour and his robots were all he needed. Friendship, no, that was a disease he didn’t feel like catching… even though, in truth, he knew well what loneliness felt like.

However, tonight was a bit of an exception to the rule. Equius wanted to create a special upgrade for his fighting robots, and for that he would need parts that he didn’t have. He would have to venture out to get them.

Aurthour had offered to come as well, but Equius ordered him to stay behind and clean the hive. His lusus fixed him a lunch of meat chunks and sent him on his way.

Equius walked for about an hour, taking his time to enjoy the exercise, the stretching of his leg muscles. He was still young, but he knew he was strong, and knew how strong he was going to be one day. Stronger than many other trolls on Alternia, in fact! That horrible Serket girl who lived next door had said that made him a freak, but Aurthour assured him that it was what made him special.

He was on a large hill by now; in the horizon he could see the coast, and in the other direction he could see the top of his hive and the hives around it. It was a nice, quiet spot, and he decided to have lunch there and then continue on his way.

He’d just sat down when he heard a small whimper, coming from not far away. Looking around, he spotted a very young barkbeast, still in that strange wiggler-esque stage that some lususes went through, though they were strangely not even grubs. One day, the barkbeast would be big, almost as big as Aurthour, with slobbery fangs and huge paws and its three tails would be able to beat an opponent like clubs. But this one was barely larger than Equius’ hand, and the noise it was making was truly pathetic.

“What do you want?” he asked gruffly, eying the thing that was interrupting his lunch.

It whimpered and beat its tails against the ground, but didn’t make a move to indicate its goal in making contact with Equius. It was too young to communicate properly, it seemed. Equius rolled his eyes. Useless.

He pulled out the meat and started to take a bite. The bothersome creature whined and beat its tail harder. Equius tried to ignore it, but finally he couldn’t help but look down at it.

It had wiggled closer, sniffing the air and looking longingly at the meat. Equius now noticed that it looked very thin, like it was starving to death.

“What’s wrong with you?” he demanded. “Can’t you get food?”

The barkbeast only wiggled closer, and he realized why it couldn’t get its own food. It was missing a leg.

“Oh, so you’re a crippled beast. I see why your lusus has left you behind.”

It whined softly and thumped its tails against the ground again. Truly pitiful. Equius stared down his nose at it for a long time.

And then, with a huff, he tore off a piece of the meat and tossed it to the barkbeast. With an excited yip, it tore into the food, devouring it in seconds and immediately whining for more.

“Wasn’t that enough?” Equius complained, but he was already tearing off another piece. It was eaten just as quickly. He pulled off a few more chunks and let the beast have at them.

“There. _Now_ are you sated?”

The barkbeast flipped onto its back and rolled around happily, making little contented noises. Equius couldn’t help but smile, watching it – he, rather – just being so happy.

“I don’t suppose you have a name. No? Well, that won’t do…” Equius held out his finger, watching him nip at it playfully. “Let me think of something… Aulfred. Do you like that name?”

He yipped and gnawed on his finger, and Equius’ smile grew. “Okay, that is your name now. Bear it proudly, Aulfred.”

For a bit longer, Equius played with Aulfred, moving his finger all around and letting him roll over and chase after it. He couldn’t quite get up and walk around yet, especially with his missing leg, but he was trying to learn. As the moon was starting to make its downward descent, he finally tuckered out, yawning and flopping down on the ground to sleep.

It then occurred to Equius that he needed to do something with Aulfred. He couldn’t just leave him here; he would be eaten by a bigger beast in hours, in fact it was a miracle he’d lasted this long. Was he allowed to have two lususes, though?

Well, thinking about it, Aulfred didn’t really count as a lusus, did he? He was merely a beast; couldn’t even communicate with trolls properly yet, after all. He would be more like… just another occupant in the hive. And there was nothing wrong with that, was there?

Yes, that’s what he would do; he would take Aulfred back, and he would live in his hive, and grow strong and healthy even without all his legs. Equius smiled. This was perfect.

He carefully slid his hands around Aulfred and lifted him. He must have alarmed him, because Aulfred gave a sudden loud, startled yip as Equius’ hands gripped him. He settled down quickly enough once he was cradled against the troll’s chest, however, and Equius didn’t give it another thought as he quickly ran back to the hive. He was impressed by Aulfred’s ability to sleep through the bumpy run; he must have been really tuckered out, poor thing.

“Aurthour, I’m home,” he called upon arrival. “Oh, where is he… Aurthour! Come here at once!”

His lusus came trotting along about then, bearing a tray with a glass of milk, prepared for his master’s return. He stopped short, however, at the sight of the small creature in Equius’ arms. He wondered what it was.

“This is Aulfred,” Equius explained. “We’re going to be taking care of him. Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you.”

Aurthour eyed Aulfred warily, setting the tray aside. Annoyed at his behavior, Equius shook Aulfred to wake him.

“Come now, Aulfred, wake up and say hello.”

Aulfred did not wake. Instead, his head lulled in Equius’ arms, seemingly unaware of the strange angles it was falling into.

“Aulfred, what is the meaning of this? Wake up this instant!”

He was only dimly aware of Aurthour at his side, trying gently to take Aulfred away. He was too busy trying to wake the obstinate beast.

“Aulfred, stop. This isn’t amusing. This is quite rude and- Aurthour, what are you doing? Give him back to me, he’s just-“

Aurthour had gotten Aulfred away from him by now, holding him unceremoniously in his hands. He flopped around like a rag doll, unaware of the treatment.

“Aurthour, let him go, you’re going to hurt him.” His two-sweep-old eyes started to brim with blue tears as he looked between lusus and beast. “You’re going to hurt him, what have you done to him, what-“

Aurthour shook his sadly. Aulfred was already dead. He’d been dead long before Equius had gotten back to the hive.

The young troll’s scream was so loud that it rattled the windows.

The thing that made him special had killed his only friend.

…

Equius didn’t often leave the hive. However, tonight was a bit of an exception to the rule. Equius wanted to create a special upgrade for his fighting robots, and for that he would need parts that he didn’t have. He would have to venture out to get them. Aurthour made him a lunch of meat, and Equius departed.

He’d been walking for about an hour or so, taking his time to enjoy the exercise, the stretching of his leg muscles. He was on a large hill by now; in the horizon he could see the coast, and in the other direction he could see the top of his hive and the hives around it. It was a nice, quiet spot, and he decided to have lunch there and then continue on his way.

He’d just sat down when he heard a small whimper, coming from not far away. Looking around, he spotted a very young barkbeast, barely larger than Equius’ hand, and the noise it was making was truly pathetic.

“What do you want?” he asked gruffly, eying the thing that was interrupting his lunch.

It whimpered and beat its tails against the ground, but didn’t make a move to indicate its goal in making contact with Equius. It was too young to communicate properly, it seemed. Equius rolled his eyes. Useless.

He broke off a piece of the meat and tossed it to the barkbeast. It was devoured in seconds, but Equius was barely paying attention.

Because he had just remembered.

“I didn’t give you the meat so early last time, did I, Aulfred?”

Aulfred yipped at his name, and Equius broke more meat to give to him. A dream bubble. That’s what this had to be.

“So this is where you’ve been, hmm, Aulfred?” Equius asked conversationally. He could tell that he had grown where he sat, from a two-sweep-old and back into the six-sweep-old he was before he died. He didn’t worry about it, instead giving the young beast more food.

Once Aulfred was full, he rolled around playful on the ground. Giving a tired smile, Equius let him chase his finger around like he once had, still unsure if this was a memory he wanted to revisit. Soon, Aulfred was yawning, but instead of falling right to sleep he looked up at Equius and nuzzled his nose against the troll’s hand.

“…I can’t, Aulfred, you know I can’t.”

Aulfred nudged harder, then started to bark encouragingly. Equius shuddered, remembering how this event had actually gone… but could there be a different outcome, here, where both of them were nothing but memory?

With a deep, shaky breath, he wrapped his trembling hands around Aulfred and lifted him into the air.

And Aulfred’s warm tongue licked all the blue tears off Equius’ face.

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as part of a larger Equius headcanon thing, the rest of which was never finished, and probably never will be finished.
> 
> I added the dreambubble part because I hate when dogs die. :(


End file.
